Introduction to El Salvador's Chocolate Lover Estate - How to Enjoy Washed/Honey Process Bourbon Coffee?

Chocolate Lover Estate

Chocolate Lover Estate occupies a stretch of the Santa Ana volcanic region in El Salvador, at an altitude of 1,350 meters. The volcanic mountainside holds plenty of moisture and a wealth of microclimates, and those conditions give the coffee grown here a remarkably delicate flavor. The farm is planted almost entirely with Bourbon, which carpets the whole slope. Because the original forest has been so carefully preserved, the plantation is a regular stop for the birds, reptiles and other wildlife that live nearby.

The estate leans on different processing methods to draw out the best in this coffee. To create its signature single origin "Chocolate Lover," the owner blends 50% honey-processed and 50% washed coffee from El Salvador. Keeping the variety at 100% Bourbon while varying the process gives the cup more layers and a richer mouthfeel. For the honey lot, the cherries are taken to a honey processing facility at roughly 800 meters. Working at a lower altitude has real advantages: fog is less of a problem, sunlight is plentiful and UV rays are strong, so the beans soak up plenty of thermal energy and develop a full aroma. Honey-processed coffee here dries quickly, which yields a more solid, robust flavor. The washed lot relies on the region's abundant water to deliver a very clean cup.

Marrying 50% honey-processed coffee with 50% washed coffee produces a distinctive single origin that expresses exactly what this estate wants to say. The cup is full of chocolate, cocoa and nut notes with a very smooth body, which is why a medium roast suits it best and brings its chocolate character forward.

Out of love for this land, the owners farm in a forest style, leaving many native trees standing as shade. That also provides habitat for wildlife and reflects genuine kindness toward the wider environment. The estate looks after its pickers too, paying bonuses around different holidays to help them live better lives.

Estate Information

Estate Name: Finca Guayabo Chocolate Lover Estate

Country: El Salvador

Region: Apaneca-Ilamatepec

Altitude: 1,350 m

Variety: Bourbon

Processing Method: Washed/Honey

Flavor Description: Chocolate, milk candy, sucrose, toffee, nutty flavors, rich body, a sweet cocoa aftertaste with a tropical fruit finish.

Brewing Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing this El Salvador bean with 90°C water for overall balance, with the chocolate flavors front and center alongside sweet notes of milk candy and toffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the honey-processed half of this blend is what appeals to you, FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Blackberry is a natural next step. It is made with a black honey process that leaves almost all of the mucilage on the bean, extending drying to at least two weeks under cover so the sugars can convert fully. The result is a medium-light roast that smells of fresh flowers when ground and tastes of grape, berries and ripe blackberry in the cup.

For a sweeter, more fruit-forward honey profile, try FrontStreet Coffee's Costa Rica Mozart. This lot uses a raisin honey process in which the cherries are pre-dried on raised beds for at least three days before the skin and pulp are removed, keeping 100% of the mucilage. Whether you brew it as pour-over, cold brew or in a moka pot, expect distinctive notes of osmanthus, pineapple and raisin.